


Reunited (Reiner Braun x older-sister!Reader)

by DarkCornerofDesires



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Death, F/M, Happy Ending, Sibling Incest, Smut in the later chapters, Whole Lotta Fluff, older sister!reader, reader becomes a squad leader, reader is not a titan-shifter, reader is older than Reiner by 5 years, spoilers--strongly recommend catching up with the anime/manga
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2018-12-31 00:24:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12120537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkCornerofDesires/pseuds/DarkCornerofDesires
Summary: For Reiner Braun, there is no girl closer to his heart than his older sister of 5 years: (Y/n) Braun.  They're inseparable--like peanut butter and jelly.Their mother Karina starts pushing for (Y/n) to join the Warrior Cadets--but she doesn't want to. Feeling conflicted about her background and the war between Marley and Paradis, (Y/n) flees her home--breaking the promise she made to Reiner: that she'd never leave him alone. As Reiner joins the Warrior Cadets and gets selected to go on the mission to Paradis, he vows he'll find his sister again--no matter what.When Reiner joins the Scouts--he's surprised to find his sister. The two get together and talk about all that's happened in the years they were apart. Although, something has changed...both start developing feelings for each other...ones they shouldn't be having. With the feelings from the past arising and mixing with the newfound ones, it's going to be a hell of a journey for the two of them.





	1. (Y/n) Braun

“You’re doing fine Miss Braun! Keep pushing!” The nurse exclaimed. Karina gave one last final push, screaming. Doctor Grisha Jaeger smiled and held the crying, newborn baby up.

“Congratulations! It’s a beautiful baby girl,” he said, handing the baby to Karina. She held the baby close to her, trying to regain her breathing.

“What’s her name going to be?” The nurse asked, getting out a piece of paper. Karina looked down at the infant. You were beautiful—you looked quite a bit like your father, with a tannish-white complexion and a little patch of brown hair. You’d quieted down a bit and opened your eyes. They were the same color of hazelish-gold that she had, but you had your father’s eye shape. Karina frowned a bit. He wasn’t here. He hadn’t wanted a child. Nonetheless, she was happy she had you. You had to have a beautiful name.

“Her name shall be (Y/n) (M/n) Braun,” Karina responded, cradling you gently. The nurse nodded and wrote that down.

“Alright…(Y/n) (M/n) Braun…born on the 9th of June in the year 828. Congratulations to you,” she said. “Where’s the lucky father?”

“Gone…but I’ll do my best to raise my little (Y/n),” Karina replied firmly. You had a tiny smile on your face, already recognizing your mommy. She smiled back. “Welcome to the world, (Y/n) Braun.”


	2. Life in the Internment Zone

You were 4 years old now. You were a happy child (mostly), curious about the world around her. You asked a lot of questions for your age, and you were very active. Karina had a problem keeping up with you at times! You were with your mother for most of the time in those years so far—no friends. Well…Karina had tried to get you to make friends. However-

“Mamaaaa!” you wailed, running into the house. Karina turned away from the counter to look at you. You were covered in dust and a few bruises, plus a scraped knee.

“Oh, there there. What’s wrong sweetie?” she asked, kneeling to your height. With a wet cloth, she began to clean up your knee.

“W-Why are boys m-mean?” you asked, sniffling. Karina sighed and dabbed at your eyes with a handkerchief, then had you blow your nose into it.

“Boys play rough. They’re usually very rowdy when they’re your age. They take a while to grow up,” she told you. She got up and grabbed a roll of bandages and covered your knee.

“I don’t l-like them…” you said, wiping a few tears away.

“You might not be saying that later in life,” Karina suggested. “Everyone has a special one. You’ll grow up and fall in love with a boy, and he’ll make you happy. You’ll get married and have kids of your own one day.”

“What if I want to marry a girl?” you asked.

“Then you marry a girl.”

“Can I still have kids?” Karina was silent for a moment.

“You could probably find a way to.”

“How do you have kids?” More silence. “Mama?”

“Well…every so often…angels take a nine-month trip to bring babies to the hospitals for families to have.” Silently, she prayed you wouldn’t ask any more on that subject.

“Oh…okay,” you replied.

“Which boy was it that you were playing with?”

“Zeke.”

“Oh, the Jaeger’s son. Don’t worry about him. He’ll smooth out eventually,” she told you as she tied a scarf around her head. You nodded. “Now then, shall we go to the marketplace?” You nodded again and followed her out the door. Your walk there was pretty quiet. One you two had gathered what was needed for supper and had started home, you had another question.

“Mama? What’s on the other side of that wall?” Karina sighed, looking a bit upset.

“The people on the other side control us. They put us in here because we’re prisoners. This is the internment zone.”

“What’s an…in…inter…internet…zone?” Close enough.

“This is like a camp. Our family is from a place called Eldia. We were captured and brought here to Liberio, and then placed in the internment zone.”

“But why?”

“They don’t see us as people…there was a big fight a long time ago. They won’t treat us like equals. I’ll explain more when you’re older.”

“Will we ever get out of here?” You asked, making her stop. She sighed.

“I don’t know sweetie,” Karina said, a sad look on her face. You nodded, and held her hand tighter as you neared home. You two were quiet the rest of the walk. Karina seemed sad now. You could see it on her face.

“Mama?” you asked. You were helping Karina with the dishes. She’d been quiet during dinner preparations and when you two were eating.

“Yes?”

“Are you sad?”

“…a little.”

“Why?”

“Well…I miss your father. I wish he hadn’t left. I wish we were free too. It’d be nice to live outside the wall,” she told you. You nodded.

“Why did Daddy leave?” Silence.

“I think…we should get ready for bed now,” she said, leading you out of the kitchen. You disdainfully took your bath and got ready for bed. As soon as you were in your PJs, Karina came in to tuck you in bed. Once you were snug with your rabbit doll (you called her Usami), Karina sat down on the edge of the bed. “Sometimes, people can’t handle things. Your father couldn’t handle his relationship with me properly. When I told him we were going to have a baby—you—he left.”

“Daddy left…because of me?” you asked, tears welling up in your eyes.

“No sweetie, I didn’t mean it like that,” Karina quickly responded. She sighed for the umpteenth time that night. “He couldn’t handle being a father. He didn’t want to be. He got mad at me and said it was my fault. Please don’t you think for a moment that it was your fault.” She stroked your hair and moved a few strands out of your face.

“You said everyone has a special one…was Daddy not your special one?” you asked. Karina shook her head.

“I don’t think he was,” she replied.

“I don’t like him…he left us…he didn’t care…” you stated. Karina chuckled.

“There’s one thing I don’t hate him for,” Karina said.

“What?”

“I have you,” she said, brushing a kiss on your cheek. You giggled and laughed a little.

“I thought ange-”

“It’s a complicated process. When you’re older, I’ll tell you. Now, I think you should get some sleep. Sweet dreams,” she said, getting up. “I love you.”

“Goodnight Mama. I love you too,” you said, smiling. Karina smiled and quietly closed the door. Once you heard her walking away, you walked over to the window, clutching Usami in your arms. Despite all the different buildings of varying sizes, you could manage to see the night sky a little. There were a lot of stars out. Mama Karina had told you that the angels lived up there—among the stars, and they would answer wishes of those who needed it. You smiled as you looked up at the sky. “I wish Mama could find her special one…and…I wish I had a friend.” One of the stars twinkled more brightly than the others. Had it worked? You took it as a sign that it had; and with that, you nestled back into your bed and snuggled Usami close.


	3. A Man from Marley

About a week later—the start of November, Karina found work. It took her outside the internment zone. She was busy almost every day. Obviously, you couldn’t go with her. So, while she went to work, you got to stay with your grandparents. Occasionally, you also stayed with your aunt and uncle. All nice people—they never minded watching after you. Karina came back late almost every night though. You were a little concerned. One night, your grandpa was playing chess with you. You were getting pretty good because of him. There was a knock at the door and your grandma went to answer. Karina came in and said hello to you all, and then pulled your grandma into the kitchen—wanting to talk to her. You resumed playing your game. You had a few problems understanding what they were saying, but they sounded excited. The two women came back in, smiles on their faces.

  
“Dad, (Y/n),” Karina said, grabbing your attention. Both of you looked up from the chessboard. “I think we’re getting out of here—out of the internment zone. I met this man.”

  
“You found the special one?!” You asked excitedly.

  
“I think so!” Karina replied. You squealed and ran up to hug her. Karina hugged you back, picking you up and spinning you.

  
“Who is this man you met, Karina?” Grandpa asked, a semi-amused look on his face.

  
“Well, he’s from Marle-”

  
“What?! A Marleyan man?! Karina—do you realize the trouble you could get into?” Grandpa shouted. You sat there confused. What difference did it make that he was from the other side?

  
“He doesn’t know that I’m from the internment zone. I’m thinking if I can keep this up and marry him, I can get our family out of here,” Karina explained.

  
“What will he do when he finds out?” Grandpa asked.

  
“Don’t be too hard on her. Maybe it could work,” Grandma lightly reminded. Grandpa scoffed.

  
“Can I meet him eventually, Mama?” You asked.

  
“Eventually. That might take be a while though, sweetie,” Karina answered. You nodded.

  
About seven months passed. You noticed something was different about your mother. She was getting bigger. What did that mean though? Karina came to your grandparent’s house to pick you up like usual. As she came to tuck you in like usual, she gave you some big news. “I think we might be able to get out of here soon,” she told you. You smiled. “That’s not all though. You’re going to be a big sister.” You cocked your head to the side.

  
“I’m going to be a what?” you asked.

  
“There’s another baby on the way. You’ll have a friend AND a sibling!” Karina said excitedly. You cheered.

  
“Yay! Is it going to be a girl?” you asked.

  
“I can’t control that, so I’m not sure.”

  
“I hope it’s a girl. Boys are mean.”

  
“Not all of them are. And if it is a boy, please give him a chance. Can you promise me?”

  
“I’ll give him a chance. But he gets only one chance,” you stated. Karina laughed.

  
“Alright. Well, get to bed soon. Your 5th birthday comes up in a few days.” You grinned.

  
“Okay Mama. I love you. Goodnight,” you said, kissing her cheek. Karina smiled and kissed your cheek.

  
“Goodnight (Y/n). I love you too. Sweet dreams.” You smiled and snuggled Usami as Karina shut the door and left.

  
“I hope it’s a girl, Usami,” you said to the rabbit doll. Usami looked back at you with her black bead eyes. “I think the angels answered me. Now I’ll finally have a friend besides you. And Mama can be happy with her special one, and I’ll finally have a Daddy.” You yawned sleepily and turned on your side. “Goodnight Usami.” With that, you gave Usami a peck on the ear and snuggled into her, falling asleep.


	4. Reiner Braun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that by this time--Grisha is gone. Notice I didn't specify it was him. So we're just going to say his dad was also a doctor. But Grisha did deliver you.

It was nearing the very end of July. August would start soon. You’d had a good birthday—but were slightly disappointed your new sister…or brother…couldn’t be there. Karina had told you it’d be just a little longer. You hoped ‘a little longer’ would come soon. It was just another day and you were with your aunt and uncle—this time it was their turn to take care of you. Currently, you were trying to read with your aunt—she wanted to help you add to your vocabulary. Your uncle was asleep—he’d gone to bed earlier. It was very late—later than usual. Karina would have been here by now. Suddenly, there was a frantic, repetitive knocking at the door. With a small, frustrated sigh—your aunt got up to answer. Curious, you got off the sofa and stood behind her. Opening the door, a woman stood on the doormat wearing a hospital uniform. Your grandparents were behind her. “Yes?” your aunt asked.

  
“This is the other Braun residence?” the nurse asked.

  
“Yes, can I help you?”

  
“Karina is currently at the hospital giving birth!” Your grandma exclaimed, smiling. What did that mean? Your aunt’s eyes widened and she ran to the back to wake up her husband—Karina’s brother. You were quickly picked up by your grandma. “Your sibling will be here soon. You’re finally going to be a big sister!” You cheered.

  
A few minutes later, you were all sitting in the waiting room. When you asked why you were in there, your grandpa simply replied, “To wait.” You didn’t ask again after that. Waiting was quite hard sometimes though. You swung your legs back and forth to pass the time. It was easy since your legs didn’t touch the ground. Finally—after a good hour or so, the same nurse came out and ushered you all into a room. Karina was on a hospital bed, she gave you all a weak smile. There was a bundled blanket in her arms. Doctor Jaeger smiled at you all.

  
“Hello everyone,” Karina said quietly.

  
“It’s a boy,” Doctor Jaeger announced. You frowned a tiny bit. You were a bit disappointed. You’d wanted a sister…but you’d promised you’d give your brother a chance.

  
“What’s his name?” your uncle asked.

  
“We discussed names when we were together—he couldn’t come with for obvious reasons…but we decided on the name Reiner. Reiner Braun.”

  
“Born on the 1st of August in 833,” the nurse spoke up, writing on a clipboard. Karina waved you over to sit next to her on the bed.

  
“Come and say hi,” she said. You walked over and sat down next to her. “Here, you can hold him.” She handed you Reiner. Carefully and gently, you held him in your arms. This was your new little brother…well…hopefully you two would get along. He opened his eyes and looked at you. They were the same color as yours. He looked so sweet and happy. You smiled lightly back at him.

  
“How does it feel to be a big sister now, (Y/n)?” your aunt asked. You grinned.

  
“Pretty good,” you said. Reiner reached up and tried to poke your cheek. “Hello Reiner. I’m your big sister.”


	5. The Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: 10/04/17  
> Someone pointed out that Pieck is the same age as Reiner. My bad. I changed it. I'm just going to give you a random person for a friend. Her name is going to be Lilly.  
> Edit: 2/11/18  
> Another edit--Zeke would have already been enlisted by now in the Cadets. The reader still attends a school though. Karina tries to get her kids both an education before they join--which ends up being her mistake as the reader isn't as susceptible to fall prey to propaganda a Reiner is.

A few months passed. Karina was home a bit more often, but she still had to work. You were tolerating Reiner. He was also crawling by now. It just happened one day when you two were with your grandparents. You still hadn’t met whom you hoped would be your new father yet. Maybe eventually. Also by now, you had started school. You see—there was a small school for the children that lived in the internment zone. It gave children a very brief education—about a few life basics. It was only a few years long. Then of course, children were encouraged to become Warrior Cadets. Anyway, you didn’t mind so much. One of your grandparents or your aunt and uncle would come to walk you back to whoever’s house you were currently at. They watched Reiner when you and Karina were away. Or Karina would watch him and come to pick you up after school when she was home.

  
School was interesting at least. They taught you to read (although you had a head-start because of the time you spent with your family), and they were also teaching math. You were also learning to write. You actually had a new friend now--her name was Lilly. She was really nice. The two of you got to sit together during class, and you two really bonded.

  
One day when you came home, Karina was in a small fit of excitement. Apparently, Reiner had started walking when you were at school. He still stumbled a bit, but he didn’t do too badly. You were a little proud of him.

  
Today, you and Reiner were at your grandparents. Karina had to work and you had no school. It was going to be a bit of a late night again it seemed. Currently—grandpa and Reiner were napping and grandma was making dinner. You were reading. A knock on the door was heard, and you put down the book to go answer it. Karina stood there…crying? “Mama?” you asked. She walked past you into the house—and into the kitchen where grandma was. You crept into the doorway, wondering what was going on.

  
“Honey, what’s wrong?” grandma asked. Karina wiped a few tears away.

  
“He’s done with me. He says we can’t do this anymore,” Karina said. Was she talking about new dad?

  
“Oh darling,” grandma said, hugging her.

  
“He had a family. Can you believe that? And he said he loved me…I should have known it was too good to be true. He broke it off because he didn’t want to get cruelly punished,” Karina explained. He had a family? Besides all of you? “He’s scared. He told me to raise Reiner on my own.”

  
“Darling, you should have expected this though. He was from Marley.”

  
“I know. Reiner is going to grow up without a father now…just like (Y/n). We’ve been abandoned again.” Both women suddenly noticed you in the doorway.

  
“New dad is gone?” you asked. They nodded. “Does he not love us?”

  
“I don’t know sweetie. All I know is that he’s scared right now. People do impulse things when they’re scared,” Karina told you.

  
“But I love him…and Reiner loves him…and you love him…” you said.

  
“I know…” Karina said.

  
“What does…abandoned mean?”

  
“…it means…left behind on purpose…soon to be forgotten about…I’m sorry sweetie, I need to talk to your grandmother about a few things. Please go do something else,” Karina said. You nodded, tears falling from your eyes now as you left the kitchen. Grandpa walked past you, joining the conversation. Reiner was awake now apparently, rolling back and forth on the living room floor. When he saw you, he chortled and reached for your ankle.

  
“Not right now Reiner,” you said, trying to stop your crying. He pushed himself up and tried to walk over to you. “No Reiner, leave me alone!” You tried to run down the hall away from him. Reiner stumbled along after you, giggling the whole time. With annoyed sigh, you ran into a room and slammed the door. The next thing you heard was a thud against the door and then Reiner bursting into tears. Instantly, you opened the door and dried the tears from your eyes. Reiner was curled up in a ball on the ground, wailing. “Reiner?” You sank to the ground next to him. “Reiner please don’t cry.” Reiner continued on. “I’m sorry I did that,” you said, wrapping your arms around him. Pulling him onto your lap, you held him tightly and wiped his tears away. Slowly, his sobs quieted. He looked up at you with his big hazel eyes. You stroked his blonde hair and kissed him on the forehead. Reiner leaned against you and closed his eyes, sucking on his thumb. He wasn’t that different from you when you thought about it. Neither of you had ever met your fathers. You were both abandoned…alone in a small sense…and neither of you had wanted to be. “Reiner.” He opened his eyes and looked at you again. “I promise you…as long as we live…I’ll never leave you.” It looked like he was attempting to listen to what you said. “We’ll always be together, I promise.” He let out an adorable squeal as you kissed his cheek. “I love you.”


	6. Sissy

Another two months passed. You all had started trying to get Reiner to speak now. Most of this happened when you were at school—but you would also try to help as much as possible when you came home. It was funny almost. Whenever you all would try to get him to speak, he would either make sounds or start giggling. You were all patient though. He would start talking when he felt like it.

It was just another day like any other. School was school—they’d started teaching you about the Internment Zone and the history of the Eldians. In other words—you were being told a biased story about your past, but you didn’t know that. Your friend Lilly had mentioned to you that she wanted to join the Warrior Cadets. You didn’t know if you wanted to or not. Your grandma came and got you today, and you walked back to her house since Karina was working. When you two arrived, grandpa was on the floor with Reiner—trying to get him to speak. Grandpa gave you two a quick hello when you came in, then turned his attention back to Reiner.

“Can you say grandpa? Say ‘grandpa.’” Reiner continued to giggle. “Or can you say ‘grandma…?’ How about…Sissy?” The question was met with nothing but giggles again. Grandpa sighed and got off the floor. “I’m going to go take my nap,” he said, leaving the room.

“Your aunt and uncle are coming over tonight for dinner, so I’ll need your help with dinner tonight,” Grandma told you.

“Okay!” you said, giving a salute.

“I’ll start now and call you in when I need help. In the meantime, I also need you to watch your brother,” she instructed, walking into the kitchen.

“I can do that!” you chirped. You took off your shoes and flopped onto the floor near Reiner. “Hiya Reiner!” Reiner made an excited sound and crawled over to you. You brushed a kiss against his forehead. For the next few minutes, you desperately tried to help get him to talk. Nothing seemed to be working. With a sigh, you decided to give up and read. You still sat with him and interacted with him, but you also had to read this for school. It was about what you’d learned today. The book kept talking about how the Eldians were bad—specifically the ones in Paradis. Supposedly that was across the sea from here. But why? Why did we hate them so much?  It made you wonder.

A few hours later, your aunt and uncle had arrived as well as Karina. All of you were sitting at the table, eating dinner and quietly talking. Out of nowhere, you all heard a small voice say, “Sissy.” All of you looked up in surprise and instantly snapped your attention to Reiner. He had a big smile on his face and was pointing RIGHT AT YOU. “Sissy!” he exclaimed. Suddenly all the adults were talking at once, and Reiner was surrounded by all of you. You felt the most pride though. His first word had been your relation to him. It made you feel good.

“Hello Reiner,” you replied, looking at him. He reached for you.

“Sissy!” he shouted back, excitedly. You smiled and held out your hand. He gripped it tightly.


	7. Tag and Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if this is a very slow-burning story. I'm trying to build up the relationship that you have with Reiner. Things will escalate soon--I promise. I thank you all for the Kudos so far. Enjoy the chapter!

Reiner was 3 years old now. He was starting to use longer sentences, and he could definitely walk better now from when he first started. He’d also started to understand certain concepts by now. Unfortunately, that meant that whenever he saw you with your backpack—it meant you were leaving for school. You were 8 years old now—your last year of school. Actually, you only had a few days left. Then you had the option to join the Warrior Cadets. To be honest…you really didn’t want to join. Anyway—whenever Reiner saw you with your backpack, he would become very sad. “D-Don’t go, Sissy!” Reiner cried, clinging to your leg.

“Reiner, she has to go to school. You’ll see her later,” Karina told him, trying to coax him off of you.

“Nooooo!” Reiner wailed. “I wanna go with Sissy!”

“Reiner, I’ll always come back. Remember? I’ll be home very soon,” you told him, giving him a hug. Reiner stood up with a huff and snuggled into you. “We’ll play as soon as I come back.”

“After your homework is done,” Karina reminded you.

“Yes Mama,” you said. You looked back down at Reiner. “Soon I won’t be in school anymore! Then we can play all you want!” Reiner gasped and looked up at you with wide eyes.

“All I want?”

“All you want.”

“Yay~!” Reiner cheered. Karina smiled at you two.

“Alright Reiner, let your sister go now so she can go to school. You don’t want her to be late and be later coming back,” she said. Reiner sniffled.

“Okay…” he said. He started to let go, but quickly clung to you again. He stood on tiptoe and kissed your cheek. “A kiss for Sissy,” he said, giggling. You smiled and kissed his forehead.

“Thank you. I’ll be home before you know it,” you told him. “Love you Mama! Love you Reiner! See you later!” You skipped out the door.

"Bye Sweetie! Have a good day! Love you too!” Karina called from the doorway.

“Bye Sissy! Wuv you!” Reiner shouted. You smiled and continued down the block. As you were walking, you saw Zeke on the opposite side of the road. He was staring at you. You stuck your tongue out at him and went on your way.

Hours later, your classes ended and you came home. They were really pushing the whole Warrior Cadet thing. It was supposed to be optional, wasn’t it? You opened the door to your house. “I’m hooome!” you announced. Reiner came running into the room.

“Sissyyyy!” he shouted, jumping on you. This action brought you both to the floor. Reiner giggled and beamed in triumph over bringing someone taller than him down. “I missed you!” You laughed.

“I missed you too,” you told him. It was almost crazy for you to think now that a few years ago, you’d cursed the fact that you’d gotten a brother instead of a sister. Reiner had grown on you—A LOT. You loved him. He was your best friend, even closer than your friend from school.

“Can we play now?” Reiner asked.

“Yeah, I don’t have any homework,” you replied. Reiner got off of you and tried to help you up. He was a bit strong for his age. You might have helped him to help you up a little though. You went to your room and put your backpack away, then walked back out into the living room. “What do you want to play?”

“Tag!” Reiner replied. “Do you wanna be ‘it?’”

“Sure, I can be ‘it,’” you told him. “You have a three second head-start.”

“Okay,” Reiner said as you two walked outside. There wasn’t much of a yard to run around in—but it was big enough, and the road in front of your house wasn’t too busy anyway. You slowly counted to three as Reiner took off running around the side of the house. Then you started running. It didn’t take long for you to catch up with him. Reiner glanced behind his shoulder and squealed when he saw you running toward him. You two ran around for a while, giving chase until you sprinted and tagged him.

“Now you’re it!” you exclaimed, dashing away from him.

“Sissyyyy, get back here!” Reiner shouted, chasing you. You laughed and ran around to the other side of the house. Reiner followed you and tried to keep up. Right as you weren’t expecting it, he let out a very adorable, not-threatening-at-all sounding battle cry and pounced on you—pinning you to the ground for the second time that day. Both of you looked at each other and started laughing. Letting out a content sigh, Reiner nuzzled his face against your neck. “I wuv you, Sissy,” he said.

“I love you too, Reiner,” you told him, stroking his hair.

“When we get growed up, I’m gonna marry you,” Reiner said, an adorable smile on his face. You were about to reply when a shadow loomed over you two. Both of you looked up to see Zeke. You frowned and Reiner glared up at him. Reiner knew about Zeke because you ranted about him a lot.

“So,” Zeke said. “This is your last year of school.”

“What do you want Zeke?” you asked. Reiner squeezed his arms around you tighter.

“You should join the Warrior Cadets like me,” Zeke told you.

“I don’t want to,” you replied.

"Why not?” Zeke asked. You stood up, Reiner still clinging to you and giving Zeke the death glare.

“I just don’t want to,” you said. “I think there’s more to what they’re telling us in the history book. I want to learn more.”

“No, you’re just a baby,” Zeke taunted. “A baby who’s too scared to fight.” Reiner squirmed about in your grip.

“No I’m not!” you argued.

“Are too,” Zeke shot back. Reiner jumped out of your grasp and started punching Zeke in the leg.

“LEAVE MY BIG SISSY ALONE!” he screamed. Then he grabbed a stick from the ground and started hitting him with it—to no effect.

“Get off me, pipsqueak!” Zeke snarled, kicking Reiner to the ground. Reiner cried out in pain. You gasped. Then…something inside you completely snapped. You whirled on Zeke and tackled him to the ground, punching him repeatedly.

“DON’T! TOUCH! MY! BROTHER!” you screamed in his face, yanking on his short hair. “WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Jumping up, you tried to kick him in the stomach…but you missed and kicked lower. Zeke howled in pain, tears escaping his eyes. You stopped. It hadn’t hurt THAT bad…had it?

“Geez, I-I’m sorry! Just…stop!” Zeke hollered, running away. You stuck your tongue and then quickly dropped down next to Reiner.

“Are you okay Reiner?!” you frantically asked, holding him tightly. Reiner hugged you tightly.

“It hurts,” he said, sniffling.

“Where does it hurt?” you asked. Reiner pulled up his shirt to reveal a bruise forming on his stomach. You leaned down and kissed the bruise, then wiped Reiner’s tears away. Mama was always doing that whenever one of you got hurt…so maybe it would also work if you did it. “Did that help?” Reiner gave a small nod as you picked him up and walked in the house. Karina was reading on the sofa.

“Are you two having fun?” She asked…then she looked up. Her face turned pale. “What happened?!”

“Zeke,” you simply replied, walking into the kitchen. Karina set her book down and followed you in, going to the sink. You set Reiner on the table and kissed his forehead. Karina came back with a wet cloth and pressed it to the bruise.

“Sissy saved me,” Reiner said quietly, giving a small smile.

“He was trying to defend me from Zeke. Zeke kicked him in the stomach and so I beat the crap out of him,” you stated proudly. Karina sighed.

“It looks like just a bruise. I think it’ll be okay,” she said. “Be more careful please.”

“Yes Mama,” you answered. Reiner slid off the edge of the table and hugged you.

“Right then, I’ll start preparing dinner. Why don’t you two play inside?” Karina suggested, walking over to the counter.

“Sure thing,” you said. Then you turned to Reiner. “Let’s play hide and seek instead.” Reiner smiled again.

“Okay,” he said, following you. You let him start counting in the living room as you took off down the hall, going to your room (that you now shared with Reiner) to hide.

 _"I will protect him,”_ you thought. _“Always.”_


	8. Dandelions

School was completely over for you now. You were a little sad though. Lilly had become your other best friend besides Reiner…and now she was leaving. She did have her mind set on the Warrior Cadets. You were going to miss her. Hopefully you would see her again someday. Reiner, of course, was very happy that school was over as it meant he got to spend more time with you.

You couldn’t help but remember what he had said the day you beat up Zeke. _“I’m gonna marry you!”_ His voice played over and over in your head. You didn’t know why. Little kids say the darndest things…you hoped that was the case…or did you? Did it really bother you that much? You didn’t know.

Right now, you were outside with Reiner. It was nice out. You two were just sitting on the ground and watching the clouds…well…you were anyway. Reiner was walking around, you were kind of zoning out. You wondered…what would freedom feel like? Would you ever get to feel it? Joining the Warrior Cadets was out of the question for you. There HAD to be more than what you had been told. What was Paradis like? Surely they weren’t all bad. There was something big going on…you just knew it. You had an uneasy feeling about it all. “Sissy!” You snapped out of your thoughts as Reiner came bounding up—the little ball of sunshine. He was smiling ear-to-ear, and his hands were behind his back.

“What do you have there, Reiner?” you asked him. Reiner held something out to you. Dandelions. A small bouquet of dandelions. That was all that usually managed to grow around here because of the dirt roads. There was barely any vegetation in the internment zone. It was surprising they even grew at all.

“I picked flowers for Sissy!” Reiner exclaimed, beaming. Suddenly, your face felt warm. Why though? “Sissy, your face is red.” You took the bouquet and smiled back.

“Thank you, Reiner,” you said. “That was nice of you.” Reiner giggled and crawled into your lap.

“The dandewions are pretty…just like Sissy,” he said. There was that warm feeling on your face again.

“Thanks…but the dandelions actually make me think of you a little bit,” you told him. Reiner looked up at you in question. “The yellow fuzzy top reminds me of your hair,” you explained. Without warning, you started tickling him. Reiner squealed in laughter as your fingers attacked his stomach.

“S-Sissy!” he squeaked out, wriggling about in your arms. You giggled and nuzzled his forehead. Eventually you stopped. Reiner caught his breath and settled back against you. “I wuv you Sissy.”

“I love you too…my little dandelion,” you replied, holding him tightly. After a few minutes, Reiner fell asleep. You picked him up and walked inside, laying him down on his bed. Then you decided to lay down with him. You grabbed Usami and laid down next to Reiner, who promptly snuggled into you. Karina came in later and found you two napping. It took all she had to keep quiet and not squeal at how cute her children were being together.

Reiner sincerely meant the world to you. He was the closest one to your heart. Even if you were having a bad day, all you had to do was find him—and everything was better. As long as Reiner was in your life, you knew you would be okay. That promise you made when he was a baby still burned in your mind. _“I promise you…as long as we live…I’ll never leave you…We’ll always be together…”_

Opening your eyes, you saw Reiner still asleep. You kissed the top of his forehead and tightened your hold around him. “I promise,” you whispered. You intended to make good of that promise too.


	9. Something Strange

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the Kudos so far guys! It means a lot to me. <3

It was a new year: 838. Right now, it was January—you had turned 9 last year, and your double digits were coming up. Reiner had turned 4. His sentences were improving and he had gotten a bit taller. He was a little sad that he wasn’t as tall as you yet. As for you…well…you were going about your life…you hadn’t necessarily been paying attention to any changes going on…until one night.

You were just minding your own business. It was your bath time. You’d started washing your body…and you noticed something. Specifically, two somethings. “MOM!” you shouted. Karina rushed into the room a minute later.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” she asked. You pointed at your chest.

“Something’s wrong with me. I think I was bitten by a bug,” you told her, pointing at your upper body. Karina looked at you and then started laughing. She had to hold onto the sink to keep from falling over. You’d never seen her laugh that hard before. “Mom? Are you laughing at me?” Karina shook her head, quieting down.

“No (Y/n), I wasn’t laughing at you. Nothing is wrong with you,” she explained. “Those aren’t bug bites.”

“But this part of me wasn’t like this before,” you said. Well, technically you had started at age 8, but they were a bit bigger now and more noticeable.

“You’re growing up, dear. Your body changes when you grow up,” Karina told you. “For females like you and I, your breasts develop. So what’s happening to you is completely normal.”

“But why does it happen?” you asked. Karina shrugged.

“It’s just your body maturing. We should talk about this now, probably,” she said, kneeling by the tub. While you soaked and continued washing yourself, Karina explained to you (finally) where babies came from—and you were a little horrified at first to be honest. She made sure to talk to you about consent and the whole good-touch/bad-touch schtick. She told you about the different things that happened during pregnancy. She also explained what periods were and how else your body was changing. As weird as you thought the whole thing was, it made sense at least. And to be honest—you still wanted kids and marriage, so it didn’t bother you too much. “Don’t ever be afraid to talk to me about this—and you can also always talk to your Aunt and Grandma,” Karina told you as she helped dry you off with a towel.

“Okay Mom. Thanks for explaining all this to me,” you said as you put your PJs on.

“You’re welcome Sweetie. Just looking out for you,” Karina told you. She finished drying your hair off. You walked into the bedroom you shared with Reiner. “Alright young man. Time for your bath.” Reiner giggled at being called a young man. It made him feel important.

“Sissy, can we read tonight?” Reiner asked you.

“Sure, but after your bath,” you said, lying down on your bed. Reiner cheered.

“As long as you two don’t stay up too late,” Karina advised. She and Reiner left the room. You stared at the ceiling for a long while. Did you think about the outside world too much? It was just so…intriguing to you. You had to know more. As quick as a rabbit, you flipped over the side of your bed and pulled your journal out from between the mattress and the base. You’d been writing down everything that had been told to you from the text books, and then your own opinions. You’d been eavesdropping on conversations in public whenever you could to see if you could obtain any insight on Paradis or the war. You’d even started paying more attention now when the adults of your family were talking. Then you also started writing out plans—they were a bit messy and unorganized, but you wanted to find a way out of the Internment Zone and Marley that didn’t involve the Warrior Cadets. And it would sound a bit farfetched and silly to some, but honestly—if anyone asked you what you wanted to do when you grew up, you would tell them that you wanted to be a peacemaker and help stop the war. But to do that, you would have to learn more—and you wanted to start by learning the other side of the story. You’d make it out of here someday…but you didn’t want to wait too long. Also…you weren’t too keen on sharing your ideas openly at the moment. Logic just told you not to.

A while later, you heard the bathroom door open. You quickly shoved the journal back in its hiding spot and laid back down. Reiner came bounding into the room.  “Sissyyyy!” he shouted. He giggled in the adorable way he always did and jumped up on the bed, latching his arms around your legs. “Hi Sissy,” he said, looking up at you. You laughed. God, why was he so adorable?

“Hi Reiner,” you replied. “Go choose a book.” Reiner got off and returned with one—then climbed back up and snuggled into you. Karina came in.

“(Y/n), you’re going to be 10 soon. I need to run over to your grandparents’ house. Can I trust you to watch Reiner for about an hour? You’ll both be safe and locked in. I have the key. You get to stay up past your bedtime a bit tonight,” she said.

“Sure thing mom,” you told her, smiling. Karina thanked you and tucked you and Reiner under the covers. She kissed you both on the forehead before leaving. You opened the book to the first page and started reading.

Reiner was snuggled against you like he usually was: your arms wrapped around him while he laid on top of you with his head on your chest. He loved the feeling; he felt safe and warm in your arms. As you read, Reiner got sleepier and sleepier. His mind was wandering from the book now. Tonight felt different. Something specifically about you had changed…you felt comfier than usual. It was a nice feeling though. Reiner lightly nuzzled your chest and closed his eyes. A few minutes later, you paused where you were at and glanced down at Reiner. Your sweet little brother had fallen asleep on top of you, holding you tightly. You bookmarked the page and set it on the bedside table. Due to the position you two were in, you couldn’t move too much. Oh well. You stroked his hair lightly and hugged him closer—losing yourself in your thoughts.

A while later, the bedroom door opened and Karina poked her head in. “I’m back. Thank you so much Sweetie.” She glanced down at Reiner and let out a chuckle. “I see you had no trouble with him.” You giggled and shook your head. “I also found these for you. They used to be mine.” She held up…some sort of garments. They looked like cut off tank tops.

“What are those?” you asked.

“Training bras. They’re for you to wear while you’re developing still. Once your chest gets bigger—if it gets bigger—I’ll get you a new size,” she explained. You nodded.

“Thanks mom,” you said. “Goodnight. I love you.” Karina smiled at you and blew the candle out.

“You’re welcome. I love you both. Goodnight,” she whispered as she shut the door. You relaxed against your pillow. Leaning down, you pressed your lips against Reiner’s forehead.

“I love you Reiner. Sweet dreams,” you whispered. With your free arm, you reached over and dragged your beloved stuffed rabbit into the cuddle, and fell asleep.

The next morning, Karina dropped you off at your Aunt and Uncle’s house since she had a work day. Really—the whole day itself seemed to move slowly. There wasn’t a whole lot to do and it was cold outside. Once again, you had to resort to playing hide and seek. However, Reiner wasn’t really paying attention. He was trying to figure something out in his little 4-year old mind. “Found you again,” you chimed, bringing him out of his thoughts. Reiner giggled for a moment, then stared at you. “Reiner?” His eyes met yours.

“Sissy?” Reiner asked.

“Yes?” you replied, kneeling in front of him.

“What are these?” he asked, reaching forward and squeezing your chest with his hands. You gasped and your face turned red. Reiner looked up at you in curiosity.

“R-Reiner, don’t touch those!” you scolded, shoving his hands off. “Mom said that’s bad!” Reiner looked up at you, ashamed.

“I’m sorry Sissy!” he cried out, hugging you. “I didn’t mean to make you mad!”

“I’m not mad, mom just said that people aren’t supposed to do that,” you told him.

“But why? And what are they?” Reiner asked.

“Mom called them breasts…and they get bigger supposedly. It’s part of growing up. She said it’s wrong to touch them,” you explained.

“Is that going to happen to me?!” Reiner squeaked.

“I don’t know,” you replied. There was a bit of silence between you two.

“Does this mean I have to stop cuddling with you?” Reiner asked, a sad look on his face.

“Why would you stop cuddling with me?” you replied.

“Because I’m not supposed to touch them,” he answered. You thought for a moment.

“She didn’t say anything about resting your head on them…I don’t really mind. You can always cuddle with me. You’re my little brother,” you told him.

“Yay!” Reiner cheered. He threw his arms around you and nuzzled his face against your chest. “You’re so soft and comfortable Sissy…” He yawned. “And warm…” You giggled and held him tightly. “What are they even for? Why do they get bigger?”

“Mom said that they make milk for babies,” you replied. Reiner looked at them for a moment before shrugging and laying his head back down.

“Are you making milk right now?”

“No Reiner.”

“Oh.” This was probably the most awkward conversation you’d ever had. Reiner fell asleep shortly after. You sighed and leaned back against the wall, Reiner still contently snuggling into you. Your mind was running through all that Karina had told you. Marriage…sex…babies…it was all still so weird to you. Growing up was odd. You glanced down at Reiner.

_“I’m gonna marry you!”_ You sighed again. You had a feeling that it didn’t work that way. You two were related, and not supposed to be in love. You’d even asked Karina how marriage worked—more in detail. Siblings could not marry. But no…Reiner could find that out on his own. You didn’t have the guts to break his heart.

“Reiner,” you said, mostly to yourself. “Don’t ever grow up. Please.”


	10. New Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being patient! I apologize--I hit a writer's block for awhile and then had to deal with finals and I had a very busy break. I hope you enjoy this chapter--things are going to start picking up soon!

You found it amusing that a few years ago—Reiner had wanted to go to school. Now he was the one not wanting to go to school. He had to though—he was 5 now. You were 10, finally at the double digits and capable of staying home alone if need be.

  
“But I don’t wanna goooo,” Reiner whined, pouting.

  
“It’s important that you go to school,” Karina told him.

  
“Why doesn’t Sissy have to go anymore?” Reiner asked.

  
“School is only a few years so you can learn the basics, and then you go into the Warrior Cadets,” Karina explained.

  
“But Sissy didn’t go into the Cadets,” Reiner pointed out. There was a small silence.

  
“Well…we’ll talk about that later,” Karina said. Oh boy.

  
“I wanna be with Sissy though. I don’t wanna be aloneeee,” Reiner whined.

  
“I’ll come get you after school. That way you can see me sooner,” you suggested.

  
“Oh…okay…” Reiner said, giving in. The three of you walked to the school to drop Reiner off. He hesitated, looking up at the building.

  
“You’ll be fine. It’s not horrible. I can help you with your homework if you need it,” you told him. “Just talk to people. You’ll make friends.” You thought of your old friend, Lilly. How was she doing? You know she went to the Cadets…

  
“Thanks Sissy,” Reiner said, hugging you. You hugged him back. You felt him peck your cheek. Recalling what happened in January, you didn’t give him a kiss in return. It was probably for the best—maybe he’d eventually get it…although to be honest it made you a little sad. He let go of you (there was a sad look on his face that you missed) and hugged Karina, who also gave him a hug in return. With a deep breath, he ventured inside the school. Karina had to go to work—so you said goodbye to her there and ventured back to the house. You saw Zeke on the way there. When you two passed by each other—you held eye contact for a few seconds. He blushed and gave you a small wave, then quickly walked away from you. Well that was weird…

  
What did Karina mean by ‘we’d talk about it?’ Talk about what? She hadn’t pushed you to join the Cadets when registration had come. You were a bit scared. Trying to take your mind off of it—you wrote more in your journal, snuggling Usami close. Maybe you could leave somehow once you became a bit older.

  
Soon, you were sitting outside the school—waiting for Reiner to come out. It felt funny coming back…were you making the right choice by not joining? You wondered if you thought about it too often—but it generally rose to the top of your mind. Was it wrong that you felt differently? “Sissy!” You stood up and looked to the door. A mob of kids were leaving. Reiner was waving at you. He was walking with 4 other kids. Excitedly, he ran up to you and threw his arms around you tightly.

  
“Hello Reiner,” you said with a giggle. “How was your day?” He had a big grin on his face.

  
“I made friends!” You looked behind him. There were two girls—one with long, black hair and the other with blonde hair in a messy bun. “That’s Pieck and Annie…” There was a boy with dark hair slightly taller than Reiner—he was nervously messing with his hands. “That’s Ber…Bertholdt…” The other boy was a brunette with messy hair. He gave you a grin. “And that’s Marcel!” You smiled at all of them.

  
“That’s great Reiner! It’s nice to meet you all.” There were a few muttered hellos. They were all so adorable!

  
“Whoa…” you heard Bertholdt whisper. He was shyly looking at you.

  
“This is my big sister. Isn’t she pretty?” Reiner asked.

  
“Y-Yeah…really p-pretty…a-and tall…” Bertholdt commented.

  
“Are you a princess?” Pieck asked you, a big grin adorning her face. Your cheeks flushed a bit red and you smiled—you weren’t used to these comments. At that point, another boy stormed up and grabbed Marcel by the hand.

  
“Come on Marcel. We need to get home,” he flatly stated. The boy made brief eye contact with you and then quickly looked away.

  
“Oh okay. Bye guys!” Marcel said, getting dragged away by his brother. “Porco, slow down!” You noted Reiner glaring after the boy named ‘Porco.’

  
“Time for us to get going too, Reiner,” you told him. Reiner grinned and held your hand tightly.

  
“Seeya tomorrow!” Reiner called back to his new friends. They shouted their ‘goodbyes’ back to him.

  
“I wanna be tall like her some day!” You heard Bertholdt exclaim. Too precious!! You turned back to Reiner.

  
“See? School can be fun,” you told him.

  
“I guess,” he replied. “I missed you though.”

  
“I missed you too, Reiner.” He suddenly stopped walking, making you stop. “Reiner?”

  
“S-Sissy? Am I stupid?” There were tears welling up in his eyes as he spoke. And he’d seemed happy just a few Moments ago…

  
“Absolutely not! What made you ask?!” you replied, kneeling down so you were closer to his height. Reiner sniffled.

  
“P-Porco says I’m stupid…” He started sobbing. You felt your heart shattering, seeing him like this. He knew kids could be mean—he’d seen how Zeke had treated you, but he’d never experienced someone being mean to him. And it was only the first day…

  
“Oh my sweet little dandelion…” you whispered. You squeezed him tightly as he wept into your shoulder. “You are absolutely not stupid. Some parents prep their kids for school more than others. Just because you’re a bit slow doesn’t mean you’re stupid. Okay?” Reiner looked at you, tears still streaming down his face. You wiped them away and planted a kiss to his forehead. “Don’t let those comments get you down. You’ll come out as the bigger man in the end. I know it.” You booped his nose and he giggled. “Come on, let’s go home.” You ended up giving him a piggyback ride, but you didn’t mind.

  
Here you were—sitting next to Karina on the bed. Reiner was in her lap. She was explaining The Great Titan War to you both, and explaining to Reiner why he didn’t have a father.

  
“Because we have the blood of the demons flowing within us—the demons who sinned in the past. If we aren’t kept in a cage, we might cause trouble for other people,” Karina finished. Demons seemed like quite the strong word, but ah well. This was some deep stuff…but you still felt like she wasn’t telling you everything. You made note of everything she said so you could write it down into your journal. Karina ruffled Reiner’s hair and gave him a sad look. “That’s also why you don’t have a father—because your father is a Marleyan, and procreation between a Marleyan and an Eldian is strictly forbidden,” she told him. “So that’s why both of you mustn’t tell anyone about this, okay? Because we are Eldians with the blood of demons running through our veins; we aren’t allowed to be with that person.” Your poor younger brother looked crushed and defeated. Up until now, he’d always been told that his father was too busy working to see him.

  
“Okay…” That was all he said.

  
 _“Please don’t mention trying out for warrior cadets. Please don’t mention trying out for warrior cadets. Please don’t mention trying out for warrior cadets…”_ you chanted over and over in your head.  
“Get some sleep you two—especially you Reiner. You have school again in the morning,” Karina said, tucking you both in. Reiner lightly huffed. She kissed you both on the forehead and said goodnight, shutting the door behind her. A few minutes passed before the silence was broken by Reiner.

  
“Sissy?”

  
“Yes Reiner?”

  
“I can’t sleep…can I sleep with you?”

  
“Reiner, you’re five years old. I think you’re getting a bit old for this,” you said.

  
“Sissy…please?” His tone was shaky, like he was about to start crying. You flung the blankets off of you.

  
“Come here,” you said. No sooner had you said this—he was lying there next to you. Might as well get rid of his bed at this point—he always ended up in yours. You pulled the covers back up as he snuggled against you—tightly. He was clinging to you as if you would disappear if he let go. You wrapped your arms around him and held him close. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way, Reiner.”

  
“Do you know what Dad was like?” he asked you. It also then occurred to you—Reiner probably thought you and him had the same father.

  
“I’m sorry Reiner, I don’t. I never met him…or my dad,” you said. Sure enough, he looked confused when you said that sentence.

  
“Wait…what?”

  
“We had different dads. My dad left before I was born though.” You thought for a moment, back to when Reiner was just a baby and you overheard the conversation. “Mom didn’t tell you everything—it wasn’t just because your dad was Marleyan and she was Eldian. He already had a family besides us…and he chose them over us because he was scared of being caught I think.” Reiner sniffled and hugged you tighter. “Oh Reiner…” You pressed a kiss to his forehead.

  
“Why did yours leave?” he asked. You sighed.

  
“Apparently he didn’t want to be my dad. He loved Mom but when he found out that I was on the way, he left.” Reiner reached up and touched your cheek.

  
“Sissy…you’re crying.” You were? You wiped the other side of your face. Yes, you were.

  
“I’m sorry…it’s just…Mom told me I wasn’t the reason he left but I still feel like I am. I don’t care if I ever see him again. I hate him…I hope he rots for leaving mom and I…” You told him. Reiner suddenly kissed your cheek.

  
“Please don’t cry Sissy. I want you to be happy,” he whispered.

  
“I wish it were easy to be happy,” you replied.

  
“Then I’ll do my best to make Sissy happy!” Reiner declared. That brought a small smile to your face.

  
“Okay well…you should get some sleep, Little Dandelion. You have school in the morning,” you said, mussing with his hair. He giggled and grabbed ahold of your hand, making you stop.

  
“Okay Sissy,” he responded, snuggling more into you. “Goodnight!”

  
“Sweet dreams my little brother,” you replied. “Goodnight.” You pulled your stuffed rabbit against the other side of you and closed your eyes.

  
“Hey Sissy…? One more thing…I love you.”

  
“…I love you too Reiner.”


	11. Zeke's Apology

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick A/N--I'm sorry it took me awhile to get this chapter out! I've had so much homework. Screw you college! Anywhore--I'd like to say a few quick things. I assume you all might have figured--but I am changing quite a few things. The plot is going to go under construction, because I would like a happy ending for this.  
> Also omfg I'm a bit ticked at Isayama. Gonna go on a mini rant here! CHARACTERS SHOULD HAVE NAMES! Now I'm not saying you must name every single character that appears in the background once--but HOLY SHIT, if a character has family, MAYBE YOU SHOULD AT LEAST CLARIFY WHO IS WHO. Literally if you go on the wikia and check out the Braun family, you have Reiner, his mom Karina, his cousin Gabi--then you have "unnamed aunt and uncle (Gabi's parents), unnamed uncle, unnamed aunt, and unnamed cousin." So none of them have names--but not only that, they can't even get simple family relations correct. On Karina's page, it states Gabi's parents as Karina's "unnamed brother AND sister in law." Now I read that as they both her inlaws?? That's not how things work--one of them is related to her! And they don't specify! It just kinda irks me as a writer--maybe it's a bit silly, but I feel like Isayama cut A LOT of corners in Attack on Titan. Ah well though.
> 
> So basically--I'm just gonna specify for my story, Gabi's dad is Karina's brother. The other aunt, uncle, and cousin? The "aunt and uncle" are going to be still referred to as your and Reiner's grandparents. As for "unnamed cousin"...uhhh...for the sake of this story, he's going to be nonexistent. I'm not saying that the guy isn't important but...it's just gonna be easier for me to continue like this and NOT revise. Besides, I don't wanna keep you guys waiting on any chapters. You guys don't mind, right?
> 
> And by the way--shit's gonna get sad in the next few or so. Just a head's up. (Also--kinda on a sad note, but Reiner's unnamed cousin reminded me A LOT of Marco...it's weird.)

One thing was for certain—you were in the process of blossoming into a beautiful young woman. Your mom told you so, your Aunt and Uncle told you so, your grandparents told you so, and a lot of people that knew you did too. So really, it shouldn’t have been any surprise that a lot of kids your age were also taking notice…

You’d been sent into the marketplace to grab a few things. Reiner however got sidetracked and was currently chit-chatting away excitedly with Bertholdt, who also happened to be in the marketplace with his mom. You readjusted the scarf wrapped around your head (you’d started wearing one like your mom whenever you went out in public) and tried to focus on the task at hand. Suddenly, a guard came storming past you—obviously in a bad mood. Without any notice or care, he bumped into you and knocked you off balance. You gasped in surprise and toppled over—but just before you hit the ground, a hand grabbed onto yours and caught you, pulling you to your feet. In your attempt to stay balanced, you accidentally fell against your savior.

“Steady now. Are you alright?”

"Y-Yeah…I’m f…” You trailed off as you looked up and into the eyes of the person that saved you. Zeke Jaeger. “I’m fine…just a bit shaken,” you finished. That warm feeling in your face that had haunted you so many times before was coming back now. He was still holding you…and it felt good. Why…why did it feel good? You studied him. His blonde hair was a bit longer than it once was.  He had gotten a bit taller too, and he seemed to be forming some muscles…WHY WAS YOUR FACE BURNING?!

“Wait, (Y/n)?” he asked, leaning in closer—getting a good look at your face. “I almost didn’t recognize you with the scarf on.” What? Wait…no retorts or teasing? This wasn’t Zeke…was it? “How have you been?” Okay seriously, where was the real Zeke?

“Oh, I’ve been alright,” you told him. His behavior was catching you off guard. “How have you been Zeke?” You noted he was also blushing now…and that he still hadn’t let go of you.

“Same as you—I’ve been alright,” Zeke replied. “(Y/n)…I believe I owe you an apology for these past years. I wasn’t very nice to you.”

“Or my little brother,” you interjected.

“Or Reiner, right,” he quickly said. “I’ve been feeling bad about it recently. I didn’t men to upset such a cute girl.” WHAT?! “Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?” WHY WAS HE BEING SO NICE?! You thought for a moment. Whenever you had seen him lately, he almost seemed shy. He was always waving at you—he hadn’t said one word to you since you’d beat him up that one day.

“I can forgive you,” you finally said, blushing. Zeke smiled at you.

A few minutes later, you and Zeke were sitting on a bench and chatting like you two were friends from the beginning. The two of you sat side by side, pressed against each other. It was a pleasant feeling as it was a very cold day. “Lilly says to tell you hi,” Zeke told you. You smiled—delighted to hear that she hadn’t forgotten you. “We’ve all been busy with training.”

“Tell her I said hi back, and that I miss her when you see her again,” you requested. Zeke hummed in confirmation. The two of you looked up into the dreary, gray sky.

“You know, I just live with my grandparents now,” Zeke told you. “My mom and dad got sent overseas.”

“Why?” you asked. He glanced around before leaning in closer to whisper in your ear. His gentle breathing tickled a bit as he did.

"I caught them with a group of people trying to restore Eldia. They had plans to rebel against Marley and destroy it by bringing back the Founding Titan. They forced me to join as their mole. Can you believe that? I don’t care what happens to them…they tried to force their beliefs on me. Marley is the ultimate empire.” Those words chilled you a bit, and you shivered. It bothered you too—how he was talking about it as if it were normal. He sent you a concerned glance. “Are you alright?”

“Still cold,” you lied. He seemed to buy it…but you weren’t expecting what he did next. Suddenly, he had clasped your hands in his.

“Is that better?” You nodded. Both of your faces were tinged red with blush—anyone could see that wasn’t from the cold.

Reiner glanced around the marketplace, his hands on his hips and sticking out his lower lip slightly—just like he had seen you do several times before. Bertholdt and his mother had left, leaving Reiner on his own. He had no idea where you had gone off to. He had a feeling you were still here though—he knew his big sister would never abandon him. “Sissy?” he called. No response. He started pushing past other marketgoers. “Sissy?” His gaze landed on a bench, and he smiled. There you were! “Sissy!” You didn’t even look up…you were looking at…Zeke? Reiner frowned and puffed out his cheeks. You hated Zeke! Why were you talking to him? No…why was Zeke talking to you? You were HIS sissy—not Zeke’s…AND YOU TWO WERE HOLDING HANDS?!

“So anyway,” you started to say, but you stopped upon hearing small stomping sounds heading your way. You chuckled when you saw it was your adorable little brother. “Hello my little dandelion.” Reiner stopped in front of you two, his arms folded. Why was he pouting? It was too cute!

“I couldn’t find you,” Reiner said with a huff.

“Aw Reiner, I’m sorry. You were busy with your friend, so I tried to give you space. I was going to finish shopping, but I ran into Zeke,” you explained to the little blonde. Pulling a hand away from Zeke, you reached down and ruffled his hair the way he liked. That seemed to lessen Reiner’s frown a bit.

“I want up,” Reiner stated. You smiled and picked him up, setting him on your lap. Reiner turned so he was facing you, then wrapped his arms around your sides tightly and rested his head against your chest. His head was turned to look at Zeke—little hazel eyes staring at the older boy, as if daring him to make a move. With your free arm, you held Reiner securely, so he wouldn’t fall—and you resumed holding Zeke’s hand in the other. You were oblivious to the little staring contest Zeke and Reiner had started. They were almost burning holes into each other. It became awkwardly silent for a few moments. Reiner shot Zeke a glare and mouthed one word at him: _“Mine.”_

“I think I should probably get going. I’ll see you around (Y/n),” Zeke said, affectionately caressing your cheek. You smiled, and shyly glanced away, whilst Reiner squeezed you tighter. Zeke stood and left. There seemed to be a spring in his step as he did so. You spaced out for a few moments. Your mind was stuck on what Zeke told you. _“Marley is the ultimate empire.”_ Why were you all locked up? Because you were ‘demons’ like Karina said? That just sounded ridiculous. And they were wanting to wage war on Paradis. Surely there was a better way to fight battles than this…

Your thought process was interrupted by Reiner tugging on your scarf. He was still pouting. “What’s wrong Reiner?”

“Why were you and Zeke talking? I thought you hated him.”

“I thought he hated me, but he apologized for mistreating me.” Reiner was still sulking. “Reiner?”

“Am I still your favorite?” Oh Reiner!

“Of course you are! What kind of a silly question is that?” you teased. Reiner said nothing but buried his face in your neck and resumed hugging you. With a sigh, you ruffled his hair and hugged him back. “Come on, we need to finish running this errand.” Unwillingly, he got off your lap, but grabbed your hand as you two resumed your mission.

 

 

 

“Does Zeke want to marry you?” You just about tripped.


End file.
